Are We Mortal?
Chapter Ten- Hey There
A/N: Another chapter to add to the heap.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda, just my characters.
Far in the mountains of the Dragon's Pass the sun had now fully broke free of the rocky hills, and with it, an ember glow that glimmered brightly on the village of Xi'an. A freshly made coat of frost settled over everything that was the village; rooftops given a crisp white surface, the fields and grass laid out like blankets of white silk. The village sparkled as the frost reflected the morning sun's blaze.
This is what Po saw as he cast a glance back on the village from the high paths to the northern paths. He had heard stories and the many nicknames given to the village, but there was one that he found to be the most awesome of all was the one that Shifu had addressed it as on their travel.
The Diamond Village.
Oh, how right he was to give it that name.
Po stopped and stared for a while before turning to catch up with the rest of his friends, joining Tigress at the back of the group. They gave each other a quick look before smiling and turning away.
Tigress and Po had returned to their rooms, separately, long before the others had woken- unaware of anything that happened between the tiger and panda- not wanting to raise any suspicion, or eyebrows. As soon as he was from his bed, Shifu was quick to compose his students; packing their things and taking in a reasonable breakfast before donning their backpack and cloaks and heading out.
They had reached the northern paths of the village long before any criminals or villagers had awoken: Shifu's orders. But Po saw this as a good thing, the quicker they got on the move; the quicker they would be able to find the White Rose.
The quicker he would be saved from death's cold clutches.
As the group wandered along the trail leading to the foot of Dragon's Pass, none of them noticed the swift, secret glances both Tigress and Po constantly made at each other.
They agreed to keep their new state of relationship in the dark, both for the mission's sake...and Shifu's. If the red panda ever found out about Po kissing his prized student and foster daughter they wouldn't need to worry about fetching the White Rose any longer, Shifu would have dealt with Po himself. But Tigress was sceptical on the thought; Shifu never showed her love, or care, only fortitude of barriers and strict teachings, she knew he would never break down because of this- she could do almost anything she wanted. She did go after Tai Lung without his permission, this was no different.
But still, she agreed to the panda's terms and agreed to keep it secret- at least until they got Po cured and back to the Valley of Peace.
An hour or two passed before Shifu halted the group at the foot of one of the mountains. It's large, purplish- coloured form towering over the group. From the back of the group, Po looked around, as he thought he heard something. The village of Xi'an was long gone from sight by the walls of trees that the road had lead them through, the only thing visible was the route back and the gate that stood proudly before them.
Po sensed, somewhat, a cold tingle down his spine. There was something about the great opening that sent fear into he panda's heart. It wasn't that the gate itself looked menacing or evil in any way, but there was definitely something about it that frightened Po to his soul. "Shifu is this..."
"Yes, Po." Shifu acknowledged solemnly. "This is the gate, the gate to the Dragon's Pass."
The panda gulped hardly, but it got stuck like a lump where the cut was. Po placed a paw up to his neck where the slash was and stroked the bandage sensitively. The stories of criminals, murders and pirates flooding his mind, filling his heart- back at the Palace they just seemed like a fantasy, but here it was hard to argue that theory.
Po steadied himself.
"Kinda...kinda freaky lookin'." He chuckled nervously. "Almost gives you that-"
"Ahh!" Came a cry, a kind of suffering, ear-splitting cry that rang through the air. Po almost jumped ten feet in the air by the sudden screech. Everyone turned separate ways- back to back- unsure of where to look for the animal that had howled its heart out. Shifu and the Five searched the tree line, inspecting the shadows for anything unusual, Po stood frightened in the middle, clutching his walking stick with a vice-like grip.
Shifu cautiously examined the trees, white ears flicking in all directions, blue orbs penetrating the rows of thick trees.
The cry came again, this time. It sounded different, like a 'hi-ya' kind of cry. Shifu turned to its direction immediately. "To the right!" He directed. Everyone spun the same way as their Master, and got into their stances. Po- being in his current state- grasped his walking stick and pointed it, hoping to use the staff as a means to fend off whatever may come from the shadows of the forest.
The silence was deafening, the silence of the forest- unbearable. Then there came a voice, it was like a surprised voice with a slight tone of amusement.
"Whoa!"
Something exploded from the left side of the group, landing between them and the gate of the Dragon's Pass. The Five, Shifu and Po wheeled in the direction of the something- or more surprisingly- someone. The figure groaned as they lay on the stone floor. It was a few seconds before they moved- fist sitting up and then getting to their feet, grumbling all the while. A sword and hat lay at their feet.
The figure was a large, black panther: wide shoulders, a strong jaw with a short crop of head fur. His face bore only one scar, but apart from that he was quite good looking, a set of burning yellow eyes that shone as bright as the sun. He wore a pair of dark green pants and a cream coloured long sleeved robe. A brown cape hung from his shoulders with a backpack. He bent down and picked up a simple straw hat before setting it atop his head.
The feline dusted himself off before turning back to the tree line where he were thrown from, a fist raised in their air. "Is that the best you got?"He snarled. "Come on, let's go! I can last another round, or two, or TEN!" He slammed his chest in a mocking, like a gorilla does to show his dominance. "Come on, COME ON!"
The panther then stopped and turned his eyes to Shifu, Po and the Five. There was an absolute, awkward silence. The figure blushed and then sorted their clothes out as if being caught doing something immature and bad-mannered. "Oh, hey there." He gave an embarrassed wave and smile.
The Five and Shifu still said nothing, but Po- being the nice guy he was- unconsciously waved back and grinned. "Hey." That was all he replied.
"You guys didn't just see that, did you?" The figure asked nervously. The group didn't respond still. The panther rubbed the back of his neck in humiliation. "...I'm guessing you did."
Shifu, now finally snapped out his stunned trance, blinked a few times. "What...who...w-what happened?" He ultimately enquired.
The animal just shrugged. "I dunno. One minute I'm walking through the woods, just minding my own business when these bandits came out of nowhere and attacked me."
Tigress furrowed her eyebrows. "Who attacked you?" She demanded.
"Some ugly looking guys, wolves, I think." Now it was Shifu's turn to scrunch his face into a sneer. The same was said for Po, both having a good idea of who the attackers were. "Can't forget the leader though; big guy, grey fur, I think he had a bow of some kind. But, man, did he have on ugly face." He laughed.
Shifu was about to speak when a shadow- resembling a wolf- jumped from the tree line and collided with the panther, sending them both into the tree line on the other side of the path, out of sight. The group was about to jump in and aid the animal when an arrow flew through the air, just missing Shifu.
Why was he always the one to get shot at?
Before anyone could get a say in there came a wave of wolf archers burst out from the foliage, giving out an echoing battle cry as they charged in on the gang. The leader- who Shifu recognised immediately as Chen- masterfully walked his way from the tree line. As his weathered, yet fierce eyes laid down on Shifu and his students the wolf leader grasped his sword, unsheathed it and aimed it towards the group.
And with a booming voice he bellowed. "Get them!"
Tigress gave a growl as she lit into the attackers, her powerful movements and strikes taking on most of the swordsmen that came her way. The rest of the Five followed suit and rushed in. Shifu, thinking before acting, pushed Po into the brush on the other side of the road, out of sight of the others.
"Stay here!" He commanded. Po nodded; he was in no state to fight. With large eyes he watched through the leaves as his Master darted back to the fight, being the only one –to once again- charge past all other adversaries and run straight for the leader.
When he was within a reasonable distance, and with all other members of the Thousand Arrows occupied, Shifu paused and balled his fists. He noticed someone one stature from the horde. "Where's Hei An?" He barked.
Chen laughed callously. "Oh, he won't be joining us from now on." He laid the blade of the sword in his hefty paw. "It seems he never woke from his sleep, poor fellow." He gave a grin; much like the lion once gave.
Shifu pinned his ears back and experienced a swell in his chest. Hei An was dead. In some way, Shifu could see his own eyes begin to get glassy. He closed his eyes to fight them; this was not the time for tears. "You killed him." He snarled.
Chen rested the blade on his shoulder and mockingly nodded with a grin. "Oh my, yes. And you know what- I enjoyed every second of it." He seemed delighted to speak those words, every syllable like ecstasy on his lips. His face then morphed in the form of a scowl.
With a mighty roar Chen leapt from his spot, sword raised. Shifu, in return, sprang from his spot, fists clenched and raised.
And on this simple path, a brutal scrap ensued- yet again.
In the middle of all the fighting, snarling, biting, mauling and cries no one noticed as the panther emerged from the tree line dusting his clothes off and mumbling to himself. He straightened his hat just as a wolf was sent flying past him, the figure watched as the canine was sent into the gate and knocked unconscious.
It was then the feline saw the ferocious scrap engaged not a few paces away from where he stood. The panther titled his head to the side a little and 'hmmmed' to himself. Then with a flip of his foot he flicked the sword from the ground where it had been dropped up into his paw, gave a grin and then dove in to help Shifu and the Five.
From his hiding spot, Po gazed into the battlefield watching as both sides went full-on for each other, not showing any mercy. Considering that this was his first time seeing both The Furious Five and Shifu in action it made the blood in his veins rush, however it also horrified him at the intensity and brutality of the fight.
He began to sweat, a lot. There was a tightening feeling in his chest, he had trouble breathing. The panda snapped a paw up to his chest and removed his eyes from the battle as more coughs forced their way up his throat. Po hunched forward onto all fours as he heaved profoundly.
Then something else was added to the problem as his left paw began to shake, uncontrollably. He grasped it with his right but it did not stop the quivering one bit. The coughs subsided, but the feeling of a tight chest and his paw shaking did not fade. Po ignored them as he looked through the hedge once more at the sound of a familiar battle cry.
He then spotted Shifu and Chen.
The wolf repeatedly swung for the Grand Master with his sword but Shifu was always a step ahead and managed to land a strike every now and then on the canine- but it only fuelled Chen Leigh's rage. Eventually the wolf managed to get a strike in, a heavy one.
With the hilt of his sword Chen smashed the red panda against the side of the head. Shifu howled as he was sent against the gate pillar. He fell to the floor and struggled to get back to his feet. He was to lightheaded to gather his strength. Chen wasted no time; he was on the red panda in an instant, sword raised so high in the air that the sun's rays glinted of its shiny surface.
Po felt his blood turn cold. Gritting his teeth he stumbled to his feet and acted fast. With one paw clutching the cloak covering his chest and the other grasping his make-shift walking staff the panda surfaced from the brush, ran across the path and slammed himself into Chen. The pair fell to the floor, but Chen was quick to get back on his feet.
Po unsteadily did the same.
His next move was swift; in one motion he used the staff in his right paw to sweep Chen's legs from underneath him, the wolf lost grip of his sword and let it fly from his grasp. Po caught it in his free paw. Chen grunted as he fell onto his back, the wind knocked from his lungs. He moved to get to his feet but he instantly stopped when he noticed the tip of his sword pointed mere inches from his nose.
"ENOUGH!" Po's hoarse voice snarled in the heat of the battle, being so loud and powerful to bring the brawl to a halt. All eyes turned to the panda: his face twisted into a frightening scowl. His jade green eyes burned like a green fire. The look he gave Chen scared the wolf leader to his core- he never knew the panda to be so ferocious.
There was silence.
Everything and everyone froze.
Po's left paw- the one grasping Chen's sword- shook violently, the weapon clattered. From his view Shifu looked at Po, then the shaking sword in his grasp and then to Chen. Tigress did the same.
The panda growled deeply. "This ends now!" More sweat ran down his body, his breathing laboured and heavy. He drew a deep of a breath as he could. "Get out of here..." He took another deep breath- although it sounded more like a hissing that an inhalation- but his face remained stoned in that horrifying snarl. "...and leave my friends alone!"
Nobody moved.
Po's head snapped over his shoulder. "Now!" The entire pack of wolves didn't need telling more than that; they were instantly running back into the shadows of the woods, their tails between their legs- in some literal sense, dragging all their teammates who had been knocked out in the process of the fight.
Po glared back down at Chen; he paused for a moment before dropping the sword onto the wolf's lap. "Go." The panda said in a soft whisper. Chen slowly edged towards the forest. "GO!" Po then screamed. The canine clutched his sword and scrambled to his feet, bolting for the woods.
Once Chen and his men were out of sight, Po's face slipped into one of agony as yet more coughs came through. The poison: it was getting worse. The panda grasped his chest and fell to his knees. Shifu and the Five were on him instantly. Again there was nothing they could do but wait for the seizure to subside.
The panther sheathed his sword as he made his way to the group. He walked round to the front and eyed the coughing panda; he could see the blood dripping from the corner of Po's mouth. The feline then got an idea; he reached into a pouch on his belt and produced from it a single thick leaf. He then kneeled down to Po, pushing his way past the Five and Shifu in the process, there was a pause in the coughing. More than the feline needed for him to help; the panther saw the panda's open mouth take in air. The feline quickly crushed the leaf in his paw and clasped it over Po's mouth. The panda was shocked and struggled to remove the feline's paw as he felt the juices from the leaf drip down his throat.
For a few seconds the panther held his paw over Po's mouth and did not let go, that was until he was stricken across the cheek by Tigress. The panther groaned as he let go of Po and lay on his back, clutching his muzzle.
Po gulped hard.
The Five and Shifu all crowded on the panther. "What do you think you're doing?" Tigress snapped. "What did you just make him swallow?" She reached down and grasped hold of the feline's robe, hoisting him off the ground and into the air. She brought him so close to her face that he could feel her whiskers- and she could feel his. "Tell me! Or you're going to regret you were ever born!"
"Tigress, wait!" Po's voice cried. "I'm okay." The feline master turned to Po to find him getting to his feet. Out of astonishment, Tigress dropped the panther to the floor, he grunted as he fell to his backside. "It's okay, he helped me." The panda placed a soft paw on Tigress' shoulder and gave a reassuring smile. Tigress had to restrain herself from jumping on the panda and wrapping her arms around him.
Po looked down to the panther who seemed somewhat agitated yet pleased. Po gave him his good arm. The panther smiled as he took hold and was helped to his feet. "Thanks." Po said. "That stuff really worked. What was it?"
"No problem." The panther waved a paw in the air absently. "It's Slippery Elm, the juice work wonders on the throat."
"Awesome." Po replied as he rubbed his throat; the coughing, tight chest and shaking paw completely gone.
The panther turned to Tigress and gave a slight bow of his head. "I'm sorry if I scarred you in any way with my actions, but I sometimes act before I think. Again, I'm sorry."
Tigress nodded, but withheld her returning apology to the stranger.
The coal coloured feline turned to Shifu. "You must be Master Shifu." It was more a statement of fact than a question. "I've heard stories about you," He turned to Tigress and the others. "And I'm guessing you must be the Furious Five." He bowed respectfully with fist in paw. "It's an honour." The panther rose with a smile. "Where are you heading, not into the Dragon's Pass I hope?"
"Unfortunately." Shifu responded, leaving it at that. "But we're really pressed for time. We have to move on."
"Well if you want some help I'll be able to lend a hand, I've walked through that passing most of my life." He noticed the glare that he got from Tigress. "Don't worry; I'm not one of them pirates and such you've more likely herd of." He reassured. "I'm just a traveller, I have fondness to study plants- heard there were quite a lot in that place." He pointed to the scar on his face. "First time walking through, ran into some thugs and just barely escaped." He gave a hearty laugh. "Didn't stop me from going back in, though." The panther patted the sword at his side. "That's what I have this thing for."
Shifu paused for a moment, he looked pensive. After a few moments of deep thought he asked. "Do you think you can lead us to the White Rose?"
The panther laughed again. "Yeah, sure, of course, I need to stock up on that particular plant anyway. I can sniff that place out no problem."
Shifu gave a small smile himself as did Po and the rest of the Five- Tigress, however, did not smile. "Thank you...Mr..."
With a grasp of his hat the panther curtsied and, like an actor finishing the grand finale of a play, gave a grand swing of his arm before standing to full height and donning his hat. "Shan Yi, at your service."